Pregame: LSU vs. Florida (Game 1 – Postponed)

Pregame will be posted a few hours before each game this baseball season. About an hour before first pitch, lineups will be added to the bottom of this post. Return after the game for our Postgame blog with video.

Mark Laird and LSU are looking to be more aggressive at the plate this weekend. (John Oubre| The Advocate)

This may be a cliche, but the Tigers need a win after two frustrating games in which their offensive funk reared its head. LSU tied with Georgia on Sunday and lost at Tulane on Tuesday, scoring two runs in each game. Players have bottled up frustration from the two outings. They’ll look to release it this weekend.

What To Watch

Ending the slump: A win Friday will work, but an 8-run, 12-hit win would help wash away the recent hitting woes this team has experienced. Four everyday starters are hitting .200 or below over the previous eight games. Everybody’s waiting for this two-week slump to come to an end.

Going deep: This seems to be in this category each week, but LSU really needs Aaron Nola to go deep into the game. Why? To save relief pitching for Sunday. The Tigers are out of a Game 3 starter with pitcher Kyle Bouman suffering from a sprained ankle. He might be healthy enough to pitch, but it’s been a while since he’s thrown live. Either way, LSU will need a stock of fresh pitchers come Sunday. That means Nola going deep.

The rain: There is a 70 percent chance of rain Friday night and an 80 percent chance during the day Saturday. The Tigers have already been bothered by the weather a few times this season. LSU and Vandy had a Saturday DH two weeks ago because of Sunday’s forecast, and rain shortened the Tigers’ 4-1 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette earlier this year.

Know Your Opponent

Hanhold gets the Friday night nod. In the first two SEC series, he’s started Game 2. Logan Shore, the Friday starter against Arkansas and Texas A&M, will now start Saturday. The Gators split their two SEC series, have confounding losses to Illinois and Florida Gulf Coast but have beaten Florida State twice.

Ross began covering LSU football and baseball for The Advocate in November 2013. He has previously covered Missouri for The Columbia Tribune, Auburn for The Decatur Daily and Jackson State and high schools for The Clarion-Ledger.

Lawrence is currently a stringer and contributor to The Advocate. He is a senior at LSU, and he plans to graduate in May 2015. He previously worked at The Daily Reveille, where he primarily covered LSU football and baseball.